Working hard to make sense of it all

“Don’t tell me what you value, show me your budget, and I’ll tell you what you value.” – Joe Biden, said during comments made on John McCain’s policies during the 2008 presidential campaign

It’s been a long time since I’ve been so blistering, seething angry. Usually, that kind of hot anger is left for my beautiful, talented, but sassy youngest daughter. This anger is directed squarely at Des Moines.

#whereareourprioritiesIowa

At first, I deleted this. It’s been a long day all ready in a long week, and I don’t know how much more bullshit I can take. I was up late when our legislature buzz sawed through the a woman’s constitutional right to make choices for her own body. It showed the majority’s true colors in that they are not a pro-choice party, they are a pro-birth party. Everyone can have a baby, but if you are poor or down on your luck, well, you are pretty much out of luck because someone needs that funding.

#whereareourprioritiesIowa

Why do I say this? Because next comes our “tax reform bill”, a bill our governor touted last Friday for the “hard working people of Iowa” but it wasn’t written, and only released yesterday. The so called debate, will take place simultaneously in the House and Senate on Saturday, with the victory lap on Saturday afternoon. This bill will cut $2.7 billion dollars out of our budget. $100 million dollars will be cut in 2019 and by 2023, that number leaps to $400 million. If revenue targets are hit, this number goes to $643 million dollars! All this come from Iowa Policy Project:

The Iowa Policy Project (IPP) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization founded in 2001 to produce research and analysis to engage Iowans in state policy decisions. IPP focuses on tax and budget issues, economic opportunity and family prosperity, and energy and environmental policy.

They do an awesome job of breaking down the real numbers and putting them into terms shmucks like me can understand. Iowan for Prosperity, a Koch brothers funded organization, would prefer that the revenue targets are lowered, because they want our state to look EXACTLY like Kansas. Google Kansas Experiment and see how that turned out.

46% of this “tax cut” will got to those who make more than $250,000. If we drop it down to those who make $100,000, the “tax cut” goes to 74% of our Iowans. So those who make less than $100,000, they get 26% of the money cut. So, a focus on the middle class, I think not.

And how will this $2.7 billion dollars be filled into our budget? Unicorn poop and rainbows.

#seriously

This money will be filled in when growth happens, because you know, trickle down economics! We all know that when tax cuts happen, that economy just springs to life.

If the bill’s backers are counting on growth to come to the rescue, they are willfully ignoring all evidence to the contrary. The last major income tax cuts in Iowa, in 1997-98, not only failed to stimulate growth, but likely contributed to the subsequent slowing of the state’s economy. The tax cuts in Kansas led to slower growth.

UPDATE: This blog was meant to be posted on Friday, but I do teach and yesterday’s weather begged me to work outside, so I did. Last night, Rob Hogg (D) tweeted this out:

Two strike-and-replace amendments in a row, knocking any other amendments “out of order”

So, not only is our Republican majority planning on passing this monstroty, they are planning on doing it in a way where there is NO public input and in a way that allows Democrats ZERO avenue to question them on their decision making process.

#makesperfectsense
When the bill is passed, old white men and women will stand and pat themselves on the back, congratulating themselves on a job well done. They’ve managed to make Iowa a hugely regressive state, creating a hostile atmosphere for women, a place where social services, where college education is for those who can afford it, and where the opinions of others really don’t matter.

UPDATE: The “tax reform” bill was passed on Saturday and the legislative session was done, 8 days beyond the scheduled finishing time.

This blog was started Friday, updated Saturday, but not published. I’m not, by nature, a political person, all though my daughter tells me that my FB page is way too much so. 🙂 I was/am hesitant in publishing this post because it’s not what I want this blog to become. However, I have a voice, and I’ve found it here with the help of those who read my Slice of Life. Thank you for assisting me in finding that courage to press publish and to feel like my voice can make a difference.

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Darin Johnston

Just a guy from Iowa, who's suddenly found himself at a place in life he never expected to be 20 years ago! I live on an acreage with my wife, two daughters, two dogs, seven cats, chickens, two cows, and quarter acre garden.
Find me at my blog: Life of a Conflicted Teacher
https://iowaconflictedteacher.com/

14 thoughts on “Iowans: Where Do Your Priorities Lie? #SOL18”

oh, boy! When we saw the news from Iowa, we worried for you and all our friends there. It’s only a matter of time before this crazy wave sweeps up us all. It’s hard to watch even from afar. I never thought we’d be in this place. Vent away my friend. What can you do to stem the tide?

That’s the question, what can I do? I’m not sure there’s much I can do which is depressing in it of itself. My bigger problem, when the pendulum swings (and it will), what stupid policies will be put into place, creating ANOTHER pendulum swing? Ugh.

I am continually in awe of the power of writing and how the process of getting thoughts recorded allows us to figure things out and to discover what we think and feel. “The courage to press publish” is a powerful statement that resonates with me. I don’t think that I would ever have had that courage had it not been for the SOL community.

I live in a bubble, I know, as a US citizen living outside the US, I look on in shock and horror as the country I call “home” becomes less and less welcoming. Thank you for reflecting on the hard and horrible things going on politically in Iowa. I have to remain hopeful that the bottom will soon be reached so that change is really going to happen.

Politics have become SO frustrating and it feels like our hands are tied. The politicians can do whatever they please. It seems like we are quickly moving toward a 2 class society. And there are so many that don’t want to ‘make decisions’ … are we moving toward a dictatorship in this country? Not an easy book to read but everyone should read “It Can’t Happen Here” by Sinclair Lewis. 😦 Hope your weekend is a bit more uplifting.

I’ve thought about entering politics before, but the scrutiny, the picking at every single mistake you’ve made, the awful things that people say anymore via social media have pushed me away from that completely. I’m a good worker bee and will happily help with a campaign, I just don’t want to be the campaign! 🙂 Not even worried about the weekend, we’ll make it! 🙂

Pretty dang much. I don’t mind (well, I do, but that’s not the point) that all three branches are controlled by one party. But what I do mind is that these stupid little tricks are used to control the debate. If the bill passes, it should stand up to any and all cross-examination! Ugh!

Mama, Coach's wife, Teacher of middle schoolers. I value moments and believe that the small things really are the BIG things. My thoughts run deep. Life is a mess- a cozy, uncomfortable mess. But it's mine, and only I can make it happy.

Three high school English teachers share ideas, hopes, questions, fears, struggles, insights, and successes during their journey to transform their classrooms, their teaching, and their students through rigorous independent reading and writing.